The Message
by As.A.Ghost
Summary: Aang has been under a lot of stress, the war being in the back of his mind every day. But that has become the least of his worries. What will happen when a dark spirit threatens to take away who he loves? Can he save her; can he prevent it? Or will she be added to Koh's collecting? Read to find out; rated T for violence in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, this is my old story, The Message. I'm sorry for everyone that read this and then it disappeared, but I am reposting it on this account. I really liked this story, and I really hope you guys don't hate me. But I'm publishing the chapters as we speak, and am changing things around here and there. This story was old, and I am rewriting it on my laptop for safekeeping. Maybe the chapters can be a smidge longer. Ok, here you guys go. Chapter one!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA but this story is mine, I made this concept up. Please do not steal it. I'm being serious. **

The spirit crawled around, the sound of its many legs colliding with the floor of the cave sent chills through the visitor's body. But he was more than careful not to show emotion, for the warning Avatar Roku had spoken was present in his mind.

"Don't show emotion, none at all… For if you do, he will steel your face," he had warned the young air bender. The memory faded from his mind and he glanced at the spirit, its long body curling up the wall of the cave.

"So, what do I owe the delightful visit to young Avatar?" the spirit asked, circling around him; keeping his face away from the boy's eyes. Water dripped from the ceiling, splashing down to the boy's robes. The air was damp and the cave was cold; all he could hear was his own heart beat racing.

"You know very well why I am here, Koh," Aang spoke, sounding like the life and joy in him had been drained long ago.

"I see, you want her back. Do you not?"

"You know that I do!" Aang yelled, balling his fists up at his sides. As soon as the words passed his lips he clamped a hand over his mouth, and Koh whirled around, their faces almost touching. The spirit's face had changed from that of an ancient animal to the very girl Aang had come back to save. But the monk's emotion had disappeared before Koh got a glance.

"Well I'm afraid, you're out of luck. You see, once I have taken a face, I can't give it back. Besides, why would I give away a piece of my collection, something you hold so dear?" the spirit hissed. The face matched that of his teacher, but the voice matched something straight from hell. She blinked, smiling sweetly at him before the face changed again. "That would be foolish of me. It tears you apart; I can see that. And that, young Avatar, will be your downfall."

* * *

Aang awoke with a gasp, panting furiously. He sat up on his elbows, and frantically looked around for the girl Koh said he'd taken away. But she wasn't gone; she was asleep on the other side of the died-down fire. He caught his breath, and hoped he hadn't woken anyone up. They needed rest, for the next few weeks would be pure training for the battle. Aang would think about it, but it would cause his nerves to bawl up and he'd get scared at the thought. That he would have to face Firelord Ozai.

Zuko would make him do drills every morning, and to be honest, it was starting to ware Aang out. If he kept this intense training up much longer, he would never have the strength to face Ozai, let alone defeat him. Aang shook any thought out of his mind that had started to spin. He got up and walked away from the three tents that were set up and past Appa and Momo, giving them a quick ruffle of the fur before he made it to the stream.

He sat down crisscrossed, putting his fists together and letting his eyes slide shut. Aang took a deep breathe in, and let the air out. Since he was already up, he decided it'd be good to meditate. Hopefully it would get his head on straight. His mind traveled to another place, and he felt that he was leaving the physical world. He could almost see the roots covering the spirit ground, that is, until his ears perked up at the sound of ruffling leaves. His eyes shot open, and his hands left their position to the ground below, feeling the vibrations of footsteps. They were light on their feet, and they were getting closer. Aang got up from his seated position, and stood his ground, ready to attack if it was a Fire Nation soldier. The leaves of the bushes were pulled back, and the figure wasn't of the Fire Nation as Aang had thought. But it was Katara.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked, and Aang's stance faltered and his hands dropped to his sides.

"I thought you were an enemy."

"It's late, you need to sleep," she said, rubbing her eyes until her vision was clear.

"I couldn't, did I wake you?" Aang asked.

"Well, no. But you weren't there and I got worried. Are you alright?" she asked, her unmade hair falling around her face.

"I'm fine, I was just thinking," he lied. She stood there for a moment, watching him before she sighed.

"You can tell me if something's bothering you, you know that… right?" she asked, walking over and placing a hand on his shoulder. She gave him a faint smile. His eyes bore into hers for the longest time, until he returned to reality.

"I know; I'm fine. Really."

Are you sure, you seem really stressed out. Everything's going to be fine, I promise," Katara said, reassuring him as usual, something she'd always been able to do.

"I'm not sure, what if I lose? What will everyone do? The worlds counting on me to restore balance, but I don't think I can do it," Aang said, shaking his head and turning away from her. Katara kneeled beside him, her hand finding his shoulder again.

"I know you can. You've been preparing for this for so long, and you've grown so much. You're the strongest, bravest person I know. You can do it," she said, and she met his eyes. Katara smiled at him, which Aang returned. Those words rang in his head; she had said that to him before. On the day of the invasion, but she was wrong. He had let the world down, and all of those people… She stood up and held out a hand for him to stand.

"Now, all you have to do is believe in yourself." That was different; she never said that, not until now.

"Thank you, Katara," Aang said, taking her hand and standing up.

"Lets get back to camp, you need all the rest you can get," she said, heading back to camp the way she came, Aang following her trail through the tree line.

**Ok, chapter one. I edited, and added on this. Hope you guys liked it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys, this is chapter two. I'm getting around to publishing the other chapters, and I should have them up by the end of the night... Hopefully. Anyways, I've got this whole story planned out, and I'm gonna try and get around to the other chapters by Christmas break. Ok, enough of my blabbering, heres chapter two.**

**Disclaimer: I dont own ATLA**

Aang wasn't able to sleep, tossing and turning everytime he drifted off. The same dreams kept him from slipping into a peaceful sleep. The same spirit, threatening the same thing. But every time he'd open his eyes, Katara was sleeping on the other side of the fire. He would try not to think about it, but he didn't know what he'd do if Koh ever tried to take Katara away. He was released from his racing mind and thoughts that took over when Zuko got up. Aang turned over and closed his eyes, shielding his face with his arm. He stayed still until Zuko shook him.

"Aang, we've got to train. You still have a few forms to learn, and drills to complete," Zuko said, his usual harsh tone evident. Aang rolled over and faked a yawn before he got up and walked with Zuko to an open area to practice.

* * *

"You have to do better than that! That's weak, you won't be able to fight if you're gonna bend like that!" Zuko yelled, his hands bawling up into fists at his side while he ordered Aang around to run the drill again.

"Zuko, he'll get it. You don't have to yell."

"Then what do you think I should do?" Zuko snapped back.

"Try to be a bit more positive," Katara retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. She was watching from a few feet away, getting tired of hearing the yelling and ordering around. She knew Zuko just meant well, but she also knew Aang wasn't going to respond well to that type of teaching. "He'll get it eventually," she said.

"We don't have that amount of time! We have two weeks! Two! And if he doesn't get this, he's not going to be able to face my father!" Zuko argued with the water bender.

"Don't say that! Don't you see he's pressured enough already?!" she said, uncrossing her arms and letting them fall to her sides. She glanced at Aang, who had now stopped his practice, and was watching their little feud. He looked back to Katara, and then to his fire bending teacher. He shook his head, bowing it to the ground.

"I'm going to take a break," he mumbled, looking up at the two arguing before he walked away and back towards the stream where he had been earlier that morning. Zuko had gotten heated, and noticing Aang's absence, he walked back towards camp.

"You should try to be more caring!" Katara yelled at Zuko as he walked away, and he shook his head. They disagreed on a lot, but she knew he had a rough past. He was just teaching Aang the best way he knew how. But she didn't think it was the best way. She let out a heavy huff before she turned quickly with her arms crossed, and stomped off in the other direction. She walked through the trees and passed the bushes until she found Aang. He was sitting by the edge of the stream, where he had been earlier.

"Are you okay?" Katara asked, walking over and sitting beside him.

"Just fine," Aang said a bit harshly. Katara looked at him but Aang kept his eyes locked on the rushing water. Katara watched him for a moment before she stared at the ground.

"I'm sorry I yelled," he said after a moment of silence. "I just, have a lot on my mind, that's all."

"I know you do, but it'll be fine. You've trained for this," she said, glancing back at him and smiled.

"Well, you helped me," Aang said.

"Training you, was my job."

"Not for training me, for being there. When no one else was. You helped me, and I wouldn't have made it here without you," Aang said, looking into her cerulean eyes. Katara held his gaze for a moment, but blinked and looked away. She pushed her hair out of her face, she still hadn't made it up for the day. Katara got up from the place she was sitting and smoothed out her water tribe tunic. She looked back at Aang, who hadn't moved even though she had gotten up.

"Aren't you coming back to camp?" Katara asked.

"I'll be back later, I have things to sort out," Aang said, putting his fists back together, crossing his legs. Katara nodded, and walked back down the trail she had taken to get to the stream.

"Where've you been?" Sokka asked, joining the rest of the group around the campfire.

"She was probably off with twinkle toes, doing who knows what," Toph snickered, laying back with her arms behind her head. Katara scoffed and crossed her arms.

"I was talking to him, if you must know Toph."

Everyone at the camp laughed at how uptight Katara could get, if you bugged her enough. Katara just rolled hey eyes.

"Oh Toph, leave her alone," Suki said, containing any laughter she hadn't already gotten out.

They acted like they didn't have a care in the world, they didn't understand how worried she was.

"I'm going to bed," Katara said. She was angry, but they wouldn't understand why. She ignored their protests and turned on her heel and walked to one of the tents that were set up. Even with the war being close, Toph and Sokka, even Suki found the time to kick back and relax like the old days. But it wasn't that simple, the old times of fun and games were over. Now, it was war.

* * *

Aang was pulled into the spirit world, and in an instant the past Avatar was in front of him.

"Avatar Roku?" Aang asked, looking confused.

"Aang, I need to speak with you. It's urgent," he said.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ok, guys. I finished editing this chapter, made it a bit longer. Added some more Roku, which I had rushed through when I first wrote this story. Roku is wise, and you have to put yourself in his shoes, just like you would if you were writing, say, Iroh. (Which is super hard to write because he is so wise and has the best lines) Anyways, read along.**

**Disclaimer: I dont own ATLA, maybe nick will sell it to me? What? well, I can dream so whatever.**

"What's all this about?" Aang asked, looking around the spirit world. His appearance had changed, back to his old air nomad clothes, instead of his yellow and orange robes he wore now. His old clothes had been torn to shreds in the catacombs, and he found himself missing them every now and then. with his old glider gone, and his old clothes, he really had nothing of his old life other than Appa.

"Aang, it's very important that you listen to me. Koh is getting stronger. You mustn't let him get too close to you," Avatar Roku said, his eyes holding nothing but truth.

"Too close? What?" Aang asked, furrowing his eyebrows at Roku's statement.

"Aang, Koh is a dark spirit, he's manipulative. He wants to destroy the bridge between the worlds, and because of this, the world has become out of balance," Roku said, folding his hands back into his robes. Aang looked around their surroundings, they were in a swamp. It was very foggy, and the only sound other than their talking were clicking of insects. He took this in for a moment. Did Roku know about his dreams? He opened his mouth to speak, but then shut it as if he were trying to find a good way to put it. At this, Avatar Roku raised his eye brows and waited for Aang to speak.

"Avatar Roku, I've been having this dream lately," Aang began, glancing down at the ground.

"What sort of dream, Aang?" Roku asked, watching the young air bender.

"It's- well, it's about Koh. He's trying to take away everything and everyone I love. He's trying to hurt me, but it's more than that. He's trying to take over my body," Aang said, looking up at his past life for guidance. Avatar Roku nodded.

"That is why you're here, Aang, that's why I called you here. You can't let Koh get too close to you. Your dream is what could happen."

Aang was taken aback by this, what could be possible? "Roku, what could happen?" Aang said, looking more frightened than ever before.

"It is what is to come, if you choose the wrong things," Roku stated, his old yet wise voice echoed throughout the empty swamp.

Aang shot his glance back towards the ground, then to the swamp again. Something about it set him off, it made him feel very uneasy. He watched the gloomy light ignite the area even more, the mist becoming more and more thick. Avatar Roku followed the monk's gaze to the swamp. Aang looked back to his past life, swallowing the lump that had lodged itself in his throat.

"Avatar Roku, what if he does get too close? I don't know what I would do if he hurt my friends," Aang said honestly, watching as Roku reached above his head and plucked a small leaf from one of the vines.

"Aang, you're the Avatar. You are the bridge between the two worlds, it is this that makes Koh target you," Roku said, bringing the leaf back down in front of his copper eyes. Aang blinked, staring down at the water as it flowed calmly over his feet.

"If- if they... died," Aang started, and the past Avatar flicked his eyes to the monk. "Would I be able to visit them... here?"

Aang looked up at Roku, who held out the leaf, set aflame at the tip. Aang took it and looked from its burning edges back to the spirit, eyebrows almost knitted together in confusion. "Aang, you see the leaf?" Roku asked and Aang nodded slowly. Roku held out his hand, and Aang gave him the burning plant back. Roku held it in front of his eyes, and the leaf burst into flames, pieces of the plant flying into the air. "Do you see it now?" Roku said and Aang shook his head. "Ah, but can you smell it still?"

Aang sighed, nodding his head. Roku was right, you could smell the foliage though it had been burnt to nothing. Roku smiled, folding his hand back into his long sleeves. "Then you have your answer. Yes, you will be able to visit them though their body may be gone. You cannot destroy their spirit, just as I cannot destroy the leaf. Not entirely," Roku said and Aang nodded, his lips twitching up into a small smile. Aang's gaze swayed back to the swamp, ears filling at the cherps of insects and animals that inhabited the place.

"Are time here is up, Aang. But I'll talk to you again, whenever you need guidance," Avatar Roku signaled his leave.

Roku's unique voice broke Aang's trance that was set in the distance. He blinked, looking at Roku. The past life smiled at him for a long moment before Aang looked at the ground, seeing his reflection in the water. A young monk, with an arrow showing proudly on his head. He looked back up to thank Roku for the advise that was given to him, but the spirit had vanished. Aang shook his head, and looked back down at his reflection. The puddle splashed and instead of a young Avatar, it was entirely different. It wasn't an air nomad, oh no. It was the spirit that had started to haunt his every dream; Koh.

**Ok so thats chapter 3, hope you guys liked it. I made it a bit longer than it would have been, so that's good enough for me. Please review, ad thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok, chapter 4! Yay! I've mostly been editing these, and I'm almost done with them! I'm glad I have this story back up, because it's fun to write it. Ok, ok, Koh will show up again sometime, but not right now. Anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter because I like it (even if its a pain to edit through) Seriously, this chapter was like a giant paragraph that had no spaces or anything because I had written it on an app. Absolutely terrible. sorry about that, anyways... here you guys go**

**Disclaimer: I dont own ATLA... or Korra... Or anything related to in other than this story. Sometimes I wonder how awesome it is to be Mike and/or Bryan.. sometimes..**

With a flash of light that engulfed the whole area, Aang was taken out of the spirit world. Avatar Roku was right. And the re-occurring dream was a warning. Aang's left hand landed on the hard ground with a thump, checking to see if anyone was around the area. He was alone. He ran to the water's edge, the stream flowing water faster than ever. The air bender looked hesitantly at his own reflection, and he was greeted with his normal features, not the frightening spirit he had seen only moments ago. How was he supposed to stop this? Granted, Aang did have a strong connection to the spirit world more than the physical, but, this was entirely different. Had any other avatar gone through this? Maybe they had, he had to find out soon. Before Kho struck again. Only the next time, Aang feared he would be successful. He got up from the stream and ran towards the tree line and down a winding path to find his team. Maybe Katara could help him. She had always figured something out when he was lost. When he reached the camp sight, his group was already asleep. Appa and Momo were piled off to the side of three tents, Toph was close to them and the fire.

Zuko had to be in the farthest tent from the group, Sokka and Suki shared a tent, it was in the middle of the camp. And the final tent was katara's. The sun would be rising soon, so Aang decided to wait for Katara to wake up before he asked any questions. To be honest, Aang thought he was going insane. He hadn't slept for a while. Aang's eyes were just about to close, but the tent flap opened and the water bender stepped out.

"Aang?" Katara asked, had he been waiting out here all night?!

"Hey," he said, a lot less focused than usual. He had nothing but bags under his eyes from the many sleepless nights. Sozin's comet and an evil spirit trying to take over your body and mind wasn't exactly great things for Aang to fall asleep to.

"What are you doing out here?" Katara asked, kneeling down now so her face was level with his.

"I need to talk to you," he said.

Katara shook her head. "You're crazy. First, you need to sleep," she said but Aang protested.

"No, if I do then.." Aang trailed off, losing the conversation in thought.

"Then what?" Katara questioned, her eyebrows furrowing a bit.

"The dreams will happen," he said.

Katara let out a sigh and a half laugh, haven't they been through this before?

Katara had faith in Aang, even when the world was so far gone that no one else seemed to have hope. Hope that maybe, just maybe, a kid could save them. Yes, it was bizarre, but not impossible right? She shook her head and helped him to his feet and walked him back inside her tent. "Here, why don't you get some well deserved sleep, and I'll go get some food, how's that?" Katara said, as Aang reluctantly lied down on the seal skinned sleeping bag. But as soon as his head touched the material, he was out like a light. "You need it," she added before she walked back out of the tent and closed the flap behind her, leaving the inside dark.

The rest of the group didn't seem to really be up yet, Katara would have thought Zuko would be up by now to train Aang on more "important" forms of fire bending. She walked to the center of camp and grabbed her water skin, and wrapped it around her shoulder. Then Katara got her pouch Gran Gran had given her right before she left the South Pole; she hoped to go back there and help fix it once the war was over.

Katara headed off past the tree line, on her way ruffling Momo's fur and giving Appa a pat on the side as well. She hadn't really ventured down into the wooded area that much since they arrived here. What was the point in getting familiar with her surroundings? They would only be staying for a few days at the most, with the Fire Nation on the hunt for them every second that ticked by.

That was another thing that bothered her, how someone could be so cold as to try and take away any chance of happiness to people. Everywhere Aang and the group went, someone was pleased. Happy to see them. Hopeful that the war would soon end. And Katara had high hopes that the faith would be restored to everyone that was victim to the Fire Nation. She wanted to see this world as she never had the chance to, how Aang had gotten to see it before he abandoned his home that night. How peaceful it must have been. Katara pushed back a couple of branches and found a bushel of berries, that would be a great breakfast she supposed. And she found some nuts, and even a couple of fruits foreign to her. She could bring them back and see if they were okay to eat, maybe Zuko knew what they were. And then there was Zuko.

Now, Katara didn't hate Zuko anymore. She had actually forgiven him a while ago, she just didn't trust him. Not even now, being Aang's fire bending teacher. He did still have that side to him. There was a side to Zuko that could be nice, and understanding. Even if it was rare to see. But there was another side to him, that he showed frequently. And that was the side that came naturally with being the Firelord's son. It was in his blood. Katara was pulled out of her thoughts by the strong smell of smoke that eliminated the air, and surrounded her whole body. It was clouding over the tree line now, and on the ground it was reaching out to the water bender. They had been spotted.

**Oh, what? pshh... Katara's got this ok shes cool, she'll be fine. Or will she? No I'm joking, she'll be fine. She's a master, I think she can handle herself just fine against some soldiers. MAYBEEEEEEE idk what I'm doing with my life, but review1 thanks for reeading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**That's right! I AM BACK! What? No, you couldn't get rid of me that easily. I never die, I just take a moment to rebound! Haha, sometimes I question my sanity.. ok. Here. Is. Chapter. Five. DUN DUN DUN! Ready for awesomeness? Then read! Onward my reviewers, onward!**

Katara looked around, she could hear the soldiers running closer. She ran in the other direction, back towards camp. Trying to outrun the smoke was nearly impossible, and it was getting thicker. She could barely breathe, or see for that matter. She jumped over the stream, the water now rushing faster than it ever had. After a loud splash, she landed back on solid ground and towards the bushes. The soldiers had heard her very clearly now.

"After her!" one yelled, not far behind. She glanced back for just a second and she could see them running through the tree lines. Katara got up, and stood on the other side of the rushing stream. Right before the soldiers could cross the stream to her side, she raised her arms up in one quick motion, summoning the water to rise well above their heads.

"Don't just stand there, attack her!" another yelled. The water turned to sharp ice shards, floating in the air, creating a barrier between the men and the water bender. Katara was just about to strike when Sokka's yell brought her to reality.

"Katara where are you?!" she looked back at the bushes.

"Im ok!" Katara yelled and with one final glance at the men, she froze them in place. She darted towards the bushes and pushed them back with force until she saw the camp. It didn't even look like a camp now, it looked like a war zone. Soldiers had already reached the camp, before she could warn her friends.

"Katara, come on, we have to go!" Sokka said, grabbing his sister's hand and leading her up onto Apaa's saddle. Most of the stuff was packed, but not all. The soldiers were raiding their other supplies and tents. Sokka took Aang's place on Appa's head and flicked the reins, yelling "Yip, yip!"

The bison took off into the sky, leaving the soldiers to look up. When Aang saw his friends safely take off, he took off with his glider. The fire nation soldiers glanced up when they felt the sudden rush of wind, their target had just slipped right out of their clutches. Again.

Aang landed on Appa's saddle and with a quick spin, his glider was back to its thin shape.

"Is everyone okay?" He asked, looking around. Everyone seemed to be fine.

"I think so," Suki said, checking everyone.

"We have to be more prepared, it's going to get worse. They almost got you that time," Zuko spoke up. Even with his harsh tone, he was telling the truth. Even if no one else would say it.

"Grumpy is right you know… we should have our stuff mostly packed, incase it happens again," Toph said, and Zuko glared at her for the nickname, even though she couldn't see it. Sokka moved to let Aang lead Appa.

"Toph's right. I think we should have a pouch. Hey, we can use katara's. It's perfect!" Sokka said and Suki let out a small giggle.

"I lost it," Katara said, staring back at the scene they just left behind.

"What?" Sokka asked.

"I lost the pouch Gran Gran made me, the one before I left home. I dropped it," Katara said.

"Oh," was all Sokka said, leaning back.

This was never easy, being so far away from home. But they had to deal with it, it was their job to help Aang bring balance to the world. They all just secretly hoped it would be soon, and that it would get better. Even if it was a lot to ask for.

Zuko looked out at the sky, he didn't care for the rides. It felt like Appa was faster when you were the one chasing him.

"Where to now?" Zuko asked the monk that was staring directly ahead.

"Somewhere safe," Aang replied quickly, and turned the reins left.

The rest of the gang relaxed, this would take a while. Katara leaned over the back of the saddle and watched the ground until the image of fire and the smell of smoke disappeared.

**So, what did you guys think?! Did you like it? I hope so! Please, review, thanks for reading! Love all of you!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Guys I am back again, cant get rid of me, sorry! Anyways, I'm sure no ones reading this story. I don't even know why I'm updating, but I don't want to just leave this story behind. I'm going to continue it, just to finish it I guess :\ anyways, heres chapter six… if people are reading it.**

Clouds and cool air was all anyone had been submerged to for the past few hours. Toph sighed and gave up on wanting to feel solid ground. When Aang said somewhere safe, he meant it. They had been in the air for what felt like eternity, and everyone was getting sick of the ride.

"Where are we?" Suki asked, staring down at the scenery from her spot in the saddle.

"The Eastern Air Temple," Aang responded, pointing directly in front of him. The air temple was huge, three mountains covered in gorgeous temples. Bridges connected them together, and walkways were carved into the sides of the peaks.

Zuko lifted his head from his forearm and looked ahead, and all he could do was stare. No one from the group had been to this particular air temple except for Aang, and everyone was amazed by it.

Appa flew overhead, and then came to a stop at the place Guru Pathik was last. Suki and Sokka stepped down and walked farther down the path toward the housing areas. Toph jumped down and her arms went flying in the air, summoning an earth stump to catch her mid flight. She landed, feeling free now that she had her sight back.

"This place is huge!" she yelled and Suki looked back at the earth bender who was walking around, exploring the new area.

Zuko hopped down from the saddle, running to catch up to Sokka and the others as they ran over the bridges.

"Are you okay?" Katara said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Aang looked back at her before shrugging.

"I'm fine," he said, and she sighed.

"You've been acting different. Aang, you can tell me if something's wrong," she said and he shook his head.

"It's just, things are so different now. How are we going to end this war? I don't think I can do it," he said honestly, for the first time getting straight to the point. He was being truthful; it was as if the group had little to no chance of winning. The Fire Nation kept tracking them, and Aang knew it was only a matter of days before they caught up to them again. It was a close call; no one was prepared this time. Katara had almost gotten captured, and he had almost gotten overrun.

"Aang, don't talk like that. You can do this, we all believe in you. You have all of us to help you; you won't be facing this alone… We're your family now," Katara replied, and it was everything he needed to hear. He wasn't alone; he wouldn't be alone in this. Everyone that had joined this group knew the risks right away, and was more than ready to help. Katara knew the consequences when she left her home behind, but this was worth it. She got to travel the world with her friends and fight for what she believed in. That was something she would have never gotten to do.

Aang looked back to her, and she held the warmest smile he had ever seen. Sometimes he didn't understand how she could be so sure he was capable of ending this war; she was more determined than he was at times. But it was something he needed, and Katara was the rock that held him up. He was grateful for that.

"Thanks," he said simply and she smiled and squeezed his shoulder before turning around and hopping down the saddle to tag along with the others. Aang watched all of them walk along the bridges and Sokka ran ahead of them to 'get the first pick on a room'. Momo flew overhead and landed on the monks shoulder, licking at the salty tears that managed to escape with Katara's little speech. He thought about what was going on, everything was weighing down on him. And to make things worse he had no idea what to do about the spirit world. Avatar Roku was supposed to help Aang with this spirit stuff, but Aang doubted even Roku had dealt with Kho. He was so lost and-

"Twinkletoes, come on! What are you doing?" Toph yelled, sending a rock flying his way. He ducked and it passed him. He smiled, and yelled at her.

"Missed me!" he said, jumping down to catch up. Appa followed behind and Momo flew ahead of him to the housing areas. He ran and caught up to Toph and she punched him square in the arm.

"Did I miss?" she snickered and he rubbed the area. That was going to bruise.

"That hurt, Toph," Aang commented and she sighed.

"I forgot, you have baby skin," she said coolly before walking off to her own pile of dirt, which she landed in hard, moving the earth back and forth with her arms. Aang watched her, grinning like an idiot for no reason other than, he was glad to have this group. They were his friends, even though it was all but easy.

He passed the others who were arguing over who would get the biggest room, but Aang was ok with just a mattress. He laughed to himself before walking up the taller bridge that led to the waterfalls. Guru Pathik had told him about the chakras, and he remembered when he tried to master the avatar state. But that was now locked and Aang wasn't sure if it would ever be unlocked. But meditation wouldn't hurt, so he sat crisscrossed and breathed in slowly.

He let his mind go blank, and the rushing water in front of him was all he heard. 'Let all your earthly attachments go,' he repeated to himself, and he could almost see the line to his inner spirit. He could see it, almost clearly now. 'What attaches you to this world? Find what attaches you, and then let it go,' he could hear the Guru's voice so smoothly. It was so calm, so relaxing. And so he tried to find what attached him to this world. Katara attached him, and it hurt enough the first time he tried to strip her away. Sokka attached him, Suki, Zuko, Appa, Momo-

"Toph! That's my room!" Sokka yelled and Aang opened one eye to see what the fuss was about. Maybe the Guru was wrong… maybe earthy attachments weren't such a bad thing. He'd just have to find another way to unlock the avatar state. He couldn't let go of the people he loved, not like this. Not this fast. The family he knew had already been taken away once, and he didn't want it to happen again.

Aang sighed and uncrossed his legs, standing and rubbing the back of his neck. He stretched and watched the water flow over the edge and smash into rocks on its way down to the bottom of the pool. He walked down to the bottom where his friends were, now all sitting and laughing. Zuko threw a roll at Aang, which he caught before it made contact.

"Twinkles, we missed you!" Toph said, crossing her legs and propping them up on Sokka's knees.

"Missed you guys too," Aang muttered, taking a bowl Katara had waiting for him and sitting down next to them. There had to be another way to keep his family, and unlock the avatar state as well. There just had to be another way.

**Hey guys, I hope you liked this chapter. I haven't updated on a lot of my fanfics, but finally it is here! Yay! I was listening to the avatar soundtrack while I wrote this, hence why it was so family centered… then peace came on (the ending music for the finale of avatar) and I started crying and wow my feelings right now are so high… (sobbing eternally until mike and bryan are forced to bring back the old gang and make a show for them cause everyone needs them back and im going to stop now). Anyways, my other avatar fanfic "He Vanished From Earth" is moving along and if youre a kataanger like me, youll enjoy it I hope. Go check it out my lovelies! Anyways, As. , signing off.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys, it's me again! Sorry I've taken ages to update, but I've had to take my EOC's and boy are they stressful. So, chapter 7 I believe? If I am correct? Wow, actually to chapter 7. I am doing quite well if I do say so myself. Ok, heres chapter 7. Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: don't own ATLA or TLOK or anything related to avatar except for this concept.**

_"Roku?" Aang asked, looking up at his past life. The air bender reached up, trying to grab onto the spirit. Roku faded into ash, and Aang shielded himself from it. He uncovered his face, looking to the side. And again, Roku stood still, looking down at the monk with much distaste. "Roku, please help me!" Aang pleaded, but the spirit simply folded his hands into his robes, frowning at the young avatar._

_"It is much too late for that, I cannot stop him now," Roku said, raising his eyebrows ever so slightly when Aang started to say something._

_"Roku, please! I can't control it!" Aang yelled, dropping to his knees in the mucky water of the swamp. The atmosphere grew quiet, and cold. The insects stopped their noise making, and all Aang could hear was his own pulse pounding in his head._

_Aang looked down to his hands, now turning paler. His nails became brittle, his complexion pallid. He looked back up to his past life, which had now vanished into the spirit realm. He glanced back down to his arm, watching in horror as his veins started to blacken. A wave of extreme pain ran up his spine, feeling like it had gone clean through his heart. He shot upright, screaming into the empty area of the swamp._

_"Get out of my head!" Aang yelled, clutching to his temples. "Get out!" But, the spirit showed no mercy as he merged with the air bender._

* * *

"Get out of my head!"

Katara woke up, rubbing at her eyes and turning this way and that to track the noise. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she got up silently from her bed. The voice echoed through the empty temple, and her footsteps joined the noise. She walked quickly and quietly down the stone slabs, making sure not to disturb her friends as they slept.

She grabbed onto the side of the wall, peeking her head over the corner to look at what all of the fuss was about. She relaxed, dropping her arms to her sides. "Aang? What are you doing?" she asked, walking to him.

She stood over him, tapping her foot and crossing her arms. It was the middle of the night. Everyone was exhausted, needing a good night's sleep. And he was sitting there, rocking back and forth for no other reason than just that.

"Aang?" she asked more sternly, but he remained unresponsive. "Aang?!" she yelled, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him around to face her. He opened his eyes quickly, shooting his arm from his face to his side, summoning a gust of air to send her falling backward. Normally, he would never attack like that. But Katara had snuck up on him, and these weren't normal times.

She fell backward, catching herself before she hit the stone. She propped herself up on her elbows, huffing. She blew her hair from her eyes, and looked at him like he was crazy.

"Katara? Did I hurt you?" Aang asked, getting up as soon as he had seen who grabbed him. He held out his hand, and she took it after a moment of hesitation.

"No."

"I'm sorry, you scared me," he explained, walking to sit down on a step. She followed suit, sitting down cautiously.

"I didn't mean to, sorry. Are you okay?" she asked, and he laughed. She hadn't heard him laugh for quite some time since the invasion failed.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"Are you sure? You've been acting weird, talk to me," she said, and he sighed.

"It's hard to explain," Aang countered, hoping she would drop the questions all together, but he knew she wouldn't. Katara could be many things, but she was far from a quitter. No, she would drag this out until he fessed up, so he figured he should tell her now than later. Besides, she probably needed to know.

"It's- I don't-," Aang stumbled, tripping over his own words. Katara placed a hand on his upper back, smiling at him. And just like that, from friend to mother the switch was flicked. It was kind of weird, how she could change posture so quickly and so easily.

"I'm scared," he said, finally getting it off his chest. Katara looked at him questionably, she'd been through this discussion over and over. But the way he said it, it was different this time.

"About what?" she asked, and he turned his head to look at her before bowing it.

"Koh," Aang answered quietly, he knew she wouldn't understand. The spirit world was something he couldn't explain, let alone show someone. She wouldn't understand the danger Koh presented; she wouldn't be worried like he was.

"Koh," Katara replied, "Who's Koh?"

"A spirit- it's hard to explain," Aang said, burying his hands in his face. He jolted up, causing Katara to jump in her spot. He started shaking, and Katara, being the motherly type, placed a hand on his back, making small circles. Katara thought he was crying, and she knew he was under so much stress. She couldn't blame him; everyone was taking the war hard.

"Aang?" she asked after a moment, when he had made no noise and had suddenly stopped moving. He was sitting there, hands covering his face. After a long, drawn in breath, he moved his hands, and opened his eyes.

He moved his head back to her, and Katara's eyes grew wide. She covered her mouth with her hand, keeping herself from screaming. His usual grey orbs were being engulfed in black, until they turned into solid darkness all at once.

"Better yet, I'll just show you who Koh is. Allow me," Aang said, his voice becoming deeper and colder, and a sinister smile spread across his face. She was about to move away, pulling her arm from his back before he latched onto her wrist.

"What are you-" she started to yell, tugging away before the air suddenly became red. She looked around in fright, and the only thing she could see was a dark red covering the air temple.

**Ok, leaving you with a cliffhanger. Sorry! Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks for being awesome people, until next time lovelies!**

**P.S.~ this lovely chapter was inspired by 'bring me to life'.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! I am back! BAM! (that was me blowing your mind because I'm actually updating). Wow... I would have never thought anyone would actually read my stories and like them. Now, the only reason I have not updated in idk how long is because I have fallen back into my routine of sadness and I haven't felt like doing anything at all because I really find no point in anything. But, it is almost Christmas and I want this to be my present to you lovelies so I will update one chapter and try to make it not suck. So, enjoy this and please don't be too harsh on me if you hate it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA but this is my story and yes, I did take bits of korra to make this story.**

"Is it breakfast time yet?" Sokka asked, stretching and yawning. Toph propped her legs up on a rock, crossing ankles. She folded her hands behind her head, leaning back to face a sky she couldn't see.

"Katara's not up yet I guess," Zuko said, walking into the room. They had found this empty space the other day when they were running around the temple, and they had all silently agreed this would be their 'living area'. Suki nodded and Sokka walked to sit next to her, draping an arm over her shoulder.

"What are you talking about? Katara and Aang are both up. They're near the stairwell," Toph said, blowing hair from her eyes. That earned her three weird looks from her friends who clearly thought she was crazy.

"Wait," Toph said, holding her hand up for no one to move. She sat up, laying a hand to the ground to wait and feel their vibrations. But she turned up empty. She furrowed her eyebrows, shaking her head to listen for one of them to laugh or talk or do anything, nothing.

"What is it?" Suki asked, all of them growing more concerned by the second.

Toph shook her head, standing up. "They're not moving. They're not doing anything. No talking, no snoring, no laughing. They're just sitting there."

Sokka was the first one up, running out of the room.

"Where?" he called, and Toph shook her head, crossing her arms and following. Zuko looked to Suki and they both jumped up, not really knowing what to do.

"They're by the bottom stairwell, the very bottom," Toph explained, catching up quickly to Sokka. Suki and Zuko ran down the hallway, after the other two who seemed to be speeding up rather than slowing down. Sokka made it to the stairs first, jumping down to at a time to reach the bottom faster.

"Sokka, wait!" Suki yelled, running faster to catch up. She stopped abruptly, bumping into Toph who was standing at the top stair. "Sorry," she muttered. Zuko wasn't far behind, and when he got close he slid on the soles of his shoes, barely stopping in time to not knock the tow girls down the stairs.

They headed down, one stair at a time unlike Sokka who was getting closer to them. "Found them!" he yelled up the staircase, and he stepped around them. They looked to be asleep, and that's all he thought of it at first glance. He got down the last two stairs, walking in front of them.

"Katara, wake up," he said, shaking her shoulder. But she didn't move and neither did Aang. And that was odd, because Sokka knew Katara and Aang had grown to be very light sleepers. "Wake up, come on. It's time to get up," he said again, now shaking Aang. He huffed, neither of them responding. They were sitting side by side, slumped over one another. And if that wasn't weird enough, Aang had a good grip on Katara's wrist. He was about to pull them apart until he heard Zuko.

"No! Don't move their bodies," he warned, and Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"Why not?" Sokka asked, and Suki and Toph stepped down to join the warrior.

"What if they're in the spirit world?" Zuko asked, stepping down too.

"But-" Sokka was about to protest but he came up short. He, like everyone else, had no explanation to anything. Besides, Aang was the spiritual one. No one else in the group knew much about any spiritual things, not even Zuko. He had read scrolls and had been told stories from Iroh, but that wasn't much help.

"They're alive. I can feel their pulse," Toph said, which brought some relief. At least they were together. If they were both in the spirit world they'd be ok.

"They'll be okay, right?" Suki asked, having no exposure to this sort of thing. Sokka shrugged, and Toph sat down on the smooth stone floor.

"Well, Aang's the Avatar. He's spiritual, right? So I'm sure they'll be fine."

"Yeah, but why are they there in the first place?" Zuko asked, and no one spoke, simply because no one had an answer that seemed satisfying.

* * *

"Aang?" Katara asked, standing up in the mucky water she had fallen in. When she got no reply she surveyed her surroundings. "A swamp? There's not a swamp near the temple," Katara commented, to herself for the most part. She made a mental note of the trees and what things looked like, in case she wandered off.

"Where am I?" she asked, looking up to the endless grey sky. The weather was clear last night, so why would it be dreary? She shook her head, rubbing her eyes to clear her vision. "Am I dreaming?" She wandered for a few minutes, until she caught a glimpse of orange and yellow fabric. She stepped from the water, walking to where she thought she had seen it. There, on a sharp tree branch, hung a piece of orange cloth. It as dirty and worn out, but she knew it was Aang's.

And then her head started to ache, and she remembered the events of last night. The red light was bright and blinding, and she rubbed her temples to rid herself of the headache she was starting to have. The water behind her splashed, and she turned around quick, seeing her friend.  
He had become unrecognizable, in the bluntest way put. His skin was muted and she could see the veins in his arms, which popped out. But they weren't blue like others; they were inky against the pastel flesh. She looked at his clothes that were the very same ones she had first met him in. they were torn and charred much like the time he had been struck at the catacombs. His eyes were not grey but dark and catastrophic. His whole form looked to be collapsing in on itself.

"Aang, what happened to you?" she asked, voice quivering. She blinked back tears, covering her moth with her hand.

"You wanted to know who Koh is? Well here I am," he said, smiling at her heinously. He laughed, stepping forward. And in that moment Katara knew this was not her friend. This- it was something beyond what her mind could believe.

She stepped from the ground, back into the water. She was ready to fight if she had to, as he was walking toward her. "I don't want to have to do this," she warned, keeping her arms to her sides. He said nothing, only chuckled deeply.

"Go ahead, I'm not scared."

She squinted her eyes, wanting to know what kind of game he was playing. Katara was a master; she could fight back. She breathed in when he reached out for her arm, and she swung her arm forward, shooting her fingers out. But nothing happened, the water waved at her feet and stilled. Her eyes grew wide, and she tried the action again. Katara stepped back, only to trip over a root sticking out from the water; belonging to a tree next to her left side.

"What? Aren't you going to fight me?" he mocked, standing over her. He grabbed her arm, tugging her up from the water to stare at her. She searched his eyes for any sign of her friend, but he was gone. She closed her eyes tightly, begging for herself to be spared.

"Wake up, wake up Katara," she said under her breath, and he shook her violently until she slowly opened her eyes again, hoping for just a moment it was all a terrible dream.

"This is a nightmare, but you're not asleep."

**Woah! So, tell me if you liked it? Please? Haha, I love this. I'm so evil and weird but I actually like this story. This will be my last update for a week of so but it is my break so im spending it with family. Oh, and happy holidays lovelies!**


	9. Chapter 9

**HAPPY NEW YEARS MY LOVELY READERS! Wow, yeah I know I'm a tad bit late on that. I've been spending time with my family and nonexistent friends so now I have finally found some time to write. What chapter are we even on… ok chapter nine? (Had to check 'cause I don't want to sound like I don't know what I'm doing right? I really don't know what I am doing. But shh) okkkk heres chapter nine.**

**Disclaimer: no I don't own ATLA but if I did that would be the best thing… no being the avatar would be the best thing but owning the show would be second.**

"We shouldn't move them," Zuko said, crossing his arms.

"She's my sister, and Aang is _my_ friend. I'm not leaving them down here in the cold. We should take them up the stairs, so we can watch after them. We can't just leave them down here at the bottom of the stairs," Sokka said, standing up only slightly to lock eyes with Zuko. He frowned, returning back to Katara and Aang. Suki helped pull Aang off of Katara's shoulder, and Sokka very roughly yanked his hand from her wrist. Toph sat up on her elbows, staring blankly ahead when she felt Suki moving Aang.

"Need some help?" Toph asked, and Suki nodded before realizing that her friend couldn't see.

"Yeah," she replied, and Toph was at her side in a few seconds. "Sokka?" Suki looked to him and he shrugged her off.

"I can carry her," he said, placing an arm under Katara's back and the back of her knees. He lifted her up with ease, cradling her as if she was a newborn. Suki looked to Zuko and he shrugged, unfolding his arms. Sokka stepped carefully up the first, and then second step. Suki and Toph had slung Aang's arms 'round their shoulders by now, and were following a very upset Sokka up the stairwell. Zuko walked behind them, watching Aang's feet drag the stone.

Not long after did they all make it to the empty courtyard. Appa had settled nicely next to the chipped wall, and Momo flew from the bison's saddle when the group emerged from the stairs. Sokka carried Katara to Appa's side, setting her down in his thick fur. Suki and Toph did the same for Aang, placing him on the bison's tail. Zuko had jumped up onto the saddle by now, and tossed down two blankets for them to cover their friends. The air had grown very cold, and it whipped Suki's hair to the side. She turned and looked out to the mountains covering the temple, and watched the sun dip low into the sky, setting the clouds ablaze in warm colors.

"How long do you think they'll be gone?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Hopefully they'll be back by tomorrow. We can't drag them around forever," Zuko said, jumping down from the saddle to the marble floor.

"What if the Fire Nation catches up to us?" Toph said, pointing out a very big possibility. And if the Fire Nation did catch up to the gang, what then? What if they needed Aang or Katara's help to fight them off? Where they just supposed to lug them around forever?

"Let's hope they don't." Zuko watched the sun start to disappear from the sky, and he could already smell the strong smoke. He hoped maybe he was imagining it, because he had no idea what would happen if those two didn't return to the physical world.

Momo swooped down, perching on Aang's covered shoulder. He licked his owner's cheek, and then made a strange noise when Aang didn't respond. The lemur looked to Sokka, who frowned, a pained expression etched onto his face.

"I know, Momo. We miss them too," he said, leaning down to ruffle the lemur's fur. Momo hopped from Aang's shoulder, lingering just above Katara's face. When she made no movement, he dropped his wings and curled onto her shoulder, nuzzling into her dark hair.

* * *

"Aang?" Katara whispered, looking around the dark cave. She could hear the water dripping from the ceiling, and she felt it splash onto her tunic every now and then. Her voice echoed in the dark, and she flicked her eyes to and from the cave entrance. She had been left in the cavern for what felt like hours. When Aang- no, Koh, had grabbed her, it felt like her energy had been drained. She could barely move, even now. Just a few moments ago had she been able to move her thumb and actually feel it scrape against the sharp rock wall. And Koh had left a while ago, or so she assumed. She had no idea how long it had actually been, but she guessed it had been an hour or more. That is, if time even existed here. She could swear she was dreaming, and that this was all a horrible nightmare her mind made up with the stress of the war. But every time she closed her eyes and reopened them, it was always the same. Her surroundings were always the same, and that was enough to terrify her.

"Your friend is no longer here." She looked to the cave entrance, seeing her friend in the limited light. He smiled at her, and she looked away, drawing in a sharp breath.

"Is he dead?" she asked, trying to keep her voice from rattling. He laughed, walking into the cavern.

"No- no I cannot kill him. Not like this, anyways. My dear child, I am only using his body, as a vessel, yes. It was the only way I could get you and him both into the spirit world." The voice coming from Aang's body sent a chill up her spine, and did little to comfort her. It didn't belong there; it was out of place.

So she was in the spirit world? Now that she thought about it, which was really the only thing that made the least bit of sense. Well, as much sense it could make to someone not familiar with a place such as this. "Why am I here? What do you want?" Katara asked, pressing questions.

"You were in my way."

She furrowed her eyebrows, feeling the blood flow through her upper arm now. It felt like needles were pricking her a thousand times over, rushing down her arm to meet her wrist. "In your way?" she asked, trying to get some answers rather than pay attention to the life that seemed to soak back into her body.

"Yes." He gave no answers, he hinted toward nothing.

"What do you want?" she asked again, this time trying to sound more demanding. He spun around fast, facing her in the blink of an eye. The veins popped from under his white skin, and it looked as if the black was spreading up his neck and inward toward his eyes. His lips had now started to crack profusely and his body seemed to be eroding away.

"I want you to suffer. I want you to see the obscene; the world for what it really is. For what it always was, and for what it will always be. I want you to see your world, and mine, for what they really are and for what they cannot mask. And I want to watch it destroy you, and in turn, it will destroy him."

**Woooaahhhhhhh. I don't even know what I am doing. But I hope you guys liked it? I know it was horrid but ugh just bare with me. if you guys have ideas for this story, and or anything you'd like me to consider adding, pm me or review and tell me. I'd love to know your thoughts! Thanks for reading, as always. I'll be back one day with yet another chapter. But for now, I leave you. ****_This authors note has gotten far too serious I apologize._**** Ok bye guys**


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